Sorcerer - Sea of Corruption OneSheet

So here we are to work out the onesheet for our Nauscaa-ish Sorcerer game. Old Scratch on rpg.net did quite a long thread on converting the setting and we might use some of that but I don't want to feel bound by it. We're owning this setting and the onesheet attached to it.

I know the idea of humanity = compassion has already been mentioned. After thinking about it I find that Mu and the Nausicaa setting have a lot in common. Mu is a post-apoc science fantasy after all.I think Mu's idea of humanity would apply, that is humanity = hope. You get humanity for making the the hopeless, crappy world a better place for everyone (everything?), you lose it for making it worse. I need to dig out my Mu and Sorcerer and Sword books.

Everyone is free to spitball about any aspect of the one sheet. Personally I think of Demons as being ancient tech and I include biotech in that. But maybe like Mu, it could be anything from the old world.

Comments

Anybody have any other thoughts? I did dig out my Sorcerer and Sword and Mu books. (post-moving most of my books are still boxed) I'll post some stuff about the alternate rules here. Does anyone else have Sorcerer and Sword or Mu?

Also we could accept all the stuff from the rpg.net thread whole cloth or not. Like I said I wanted the world to be Nausicaa inspired. I'll post all the descriptors I think are appropriate here tonight or tomorrow.

I kind of want to be able to bind giant insects from the jungle, so ideally I would like a one-sheet that can accommodate that. Besides, insects seemed like the main kind of demons in the movie, not ancient tech.

Can you come up with example tests for Community as Humanity, both positive and negative? I think a constraint that might be necessary is that our characters must all be tied strongly to their community to make that work. Community must matter. I could see it.

Sorcerer's soul talks about strongly linking lore and humanity. It's not strictly necessary though, or I should say that I don't know that the linking has to be tight. Lore in the mechanical sense is your knowledge of demons and how to find, summon and recognize them. Demons threaten humanity simply by being completely alien to it. It's not so much that Lore threatens humanity but Demons. Sorcerer and sword is a little looser about the wole thing.

On Compassion = Humanity: When we say compassion, do we mean compassion for people? Compassion for nature? Are we worried about the nature theme? Compassion for everything?

So for our setting we want these elements to begin with (as I see it)

-Giant Fungal forest, dangerous and toxic to people, that covers most of the world (probably an Other world, I'll detail that later)

-Giant Insects that inhabit forest (most of which are beasts, but a few which are both willful and intelligent, those are our demons -- you have to know where to go, what to do to summon them. --They are immanents which means that they can be contacted, bound, contained and punished, but cannot be summoned or banished (they're already here)

-other animals in the forests too, but insects predominate.

-Ruined cities, a world with a couple of mighty powers but a third that was overrun by the forest long ago and now exists as small isolated communities surviving on the edge of the forest.

-Ancient technology some of which is just machines but some of which is, as insects above, both intelligent and willful. (again immanents)

-There are roumers of "Old Ones" (another possible demon type) progenitors of current people whose civilization brought the fire upon the world.

-Straight metaphysical demons are still possible (ones you have to summon)?

Here are the base descriptors from Sorcerer and Sword which is what I suggest using for the most part. We need to agree on this list before we make characters.

Stamina

Savage Raised - This applies well not only to combat but also to many situations in which smell, hearing, and 'sixth sense' are useful, not to mention climbing, swimming and so on. A versitile description.

Trained soldier - Good with all weapons, used to the travails and conduct of war and soldiery. Note that unarmed combat skills are very basic, limited to punching and rough-and-tumble grappling.

Big and vigarous - Speaks for itself: you're a big person

Just healthy - (Sta 2 or 3) this is recommended for characters who are not physically special in any way

Arcane regimen - This is what classical sorcerers do to stay in shape: funny breathing, stretching, calisthenics, controlled diet, and so on. It may well include martial arts training.

Unnatural means - Bathe in vigin lamb blood, run around naked in the moonlight, recite poetry in the shadow of the Frog God -- this sort of thing seems to work for some people.

Body of Stone - (addition from Old Scratch's thread) (Sta 1 or 2) The Forest poisons have finally wreaked their work upon you and your flesh and bones have stiffened and hardened and your internal organs are calcifying. It is only a matter of time

Will

Brush with the Unknown - In the course of an otherwise normal life, the character has encountere true, all encompassing insight. Ever since nothing has really been satisfying. You must define the experience and the characters reaction to it ever since.

Aristocrat - This is not a social status so much as a state of mind. The character is 'the cat who walks by himself,' and all places are alike to him.

Zest for life - Wahoo! If it's fun or feels good, you go for it. If it doesn't, it's in your way.

Angry - The character is pissed off and thoroughly ready to express this state of mind to all and sundry

Vow - The classic motivator. Vengeance, regaining property or status, whatever - you want in and you're going to get it.

Leader of Men - Basic charisma; people trust and respect the character. It is usually combined with focused of unfocused ambition; the character dislikes being anywhere except in a position of leadership

Lover - The character derives great inner strength from the love of another, whether a specific person or anyone who's interested today

Lore

Changling - (lore 2+) You were reaised by Old Ones or Demons and know their ways well. Now you live in the 'normal' world; perhaps you are a bit unsure of yourself there.

Half-breed - (lore 2+) One of your parents is an Old One or a Demon. You are by no means a normal human being. (also originally lists Undead per the Sword necromancy rules, but I don't think it'll work here. Still I'll consider it if you want.)

Adept - (lore 5+) The classic human expert sorcerer. Quite impressive

Apprentice - (lore 2+) Gonna be an adept some day!

Naive - These characters don't consider themselves sorcerers, but the demons do. The major difference from the 'naive' definition in Sorcerer are that in this setting (1) they are performing sorcerery 'blind' and know very few if any actual rituals; and (2) they might not begin play with a Bound demon.

I think we're talking past each other a bit. I'm actually good with Community as humanity. I totally buy it. I wonder if it would be interesting to include a second humanity as well, like compassion for indiviuduals. You might get a humanity gain roll for supporting the community and at the same time get a loss roll for causing an individual to suffer. Maybe that's too complicated.

Sorry I haven't been contributing lately; I must have missed an update, and then Snail's pace stops sending thread subscription updates until you visit again...

I was kind of thinking about playing a hermit who dwells in the clean area beneath the toxic jungle, with a solitary, unusual or mutant insect as a bound demon. Would that be possible with community as humanity?

I agree that the pirate airship princess sounds appropriate! Your tech needs a will of it's own somehow. When you say airship are you thinking the giant planes? Also do you have a crew, maybe what little is left of your nation? That way you end up with your own little mobile community.

I forgot to list that in Sorcerer and Sword "Cover" is replaced with "Past" as follows:

Immortal - The character does not age rapidly or at all and has lived at least a few centuries of life so far, perhaps much more. They have any and all skills they need, using Past dice -- except for entirely novel ones, which are pathetic at Past = 1

Social rank - Similar to the concept in Sorcerer: what the character does or did for a socially legitimate living, especially if it plays a strong role in his or her self-image. It can be anywhere up and down the social scale. In this genre there are two extremely common versions:

Civilized, in which case an actual title should be included: The Gray Preist of Bab, second captain of the Red Guard, princess of Kozala, etc.

Barbaric, meaning the character is (and currently lives as) a nomad or tribesman somewhere in the boonies. Again, some indicator of role should be included: shaman, outrider, hunter, etc. Do not confuse Barabaric Past with Savage Upbringing.

Outlaw - Similar to Social Rank, above, except that the activities involved are not societally approved. E.g. pirate, bandit, thief.

Unlike the base rules, in this setting, a character can accumulate Pasts if it seems reasonable, especially over the course of many adventures. Yellow might be Princess + Outlaw for example.

One with the Forest - (Lore 5+) You've made the toxic jungle/ancient ruins your home and have become deeply knowledgable about it and its inhabitants. According to most, you're completely mad.

Explorer - (lore 3-4) You spend a great deal of time in the ruins/jungle and have learned a lot about it. You've dedicated yourself to understanding the forest for some purpose. Others view your activities with fear and suspicion.

Student - (Lore 2+) You are learning the ways of the Forest under a Master Explorer

Call of the Forest/Song of the Ancients - (lore 1+) You feel irresistably drawn to the things of the forest/ruins. It's more of an emotional need for you than an intellectual curiosity.

Naive - (lore 1) You've stumbled on something. You might not understand the Insects/Tech, but they seem to interact with you anyway. (As before, you know few rituals and possibly might not begin play with a Demon.

Changling - (lore 2+) You were raised by the creatures of the forest/ruins and know their ways well. Now you live in the 'normal' world; perhaps you are a bit unsure of yourself there.

So with Humanity = Community, at Humanity 0 what happens? Perhaps you are utterly cut off from community, maybe even hunted and destroyed by the community as a danger to them? Or even better, you've destroyed the community?

The usual array of personal problems such as those suggested in Sorcerer are available for character in this setting as well.

Uncivilized - The character is from a really far-away place and obviously doesn't fit in. He or she is not mean, stupid or even rude, just unconcerned with local ritual.

Unlucky in love - This one is fun: It acts as a bonus in establishing a relationship but as a penalty with dealing with anything that threatens it. Combine with Will:Lover to get a seriously messed-up PC.

Idealistic/gullible - How come Elric keeps listening to each Comic Hoo-ha who gives him "the real scoop" this time?

Bad reputation - usually based on a specific event in the characters history

Demonic feature - Either a scary physical feature or an actual Need, just like a demon.

Yellow, what customized descriptors are you thinking of? We can add a Stamina descriptor like "Contaminated" to the list. Otherwise with the character you mentioned you could use will: Vow (Vengeance) or Angry or Leader of Men, or some combo. And the way you talk about the character now, I see her as a Naive for Lore. And of course she'd be Princess + Outlaw (or princess + Pirate) for Past.

How's that work? Do you divide points between multiple Past traits, or do you add new descriptors to a single Past trait?

It's a single trait with multiple descriptors.

As such ... what normally can happen when you hit 0 Humanity? I don't remember.

Well mechanically the character is supposed to become an NPC (in the base rules) but as far as the fiction is concerned it's tied into the Humanity definition. One of the examples in the base rules is if Humanity is Soul then at 0 Humanity you are dead and damned. So I think any of the suggestions I made are plausible, maybe all of them.

As far as starting another thread, I think we can go ahead and hash them out here.

Sorcery Look and Feel: Demon Types

In Sorcerer and sword a Demon is described both by it's original type (from Sorcerer) and by one of these options.

Immanents - These are not summoned or banished, they're already here. The Contact ritual is considered a magical 'call' to where they lurk or sleep and might be highly specific as to time/place. (Insect Demons are these I think, and maybe most tech demons too)

Beasts - Prehistoric beasts of disturbing intelligence. - May only be pacted with.

Pagan Things - Minor magical creatures that used to be native during the days of the Old Ones - can only be pacted

Old ones - Similar to true demons from human perspective but primarily physical rather than metaphysical

Self-reanimated Liches - Sorcerers who are now subject to Demon Rules.

Ghosts

Immanents and True Demons might be enough for us. But if you want to make an argument for one of the others I'm all ears.

So insect demons - and I want to keep a distinction between the regular giant insects and the insect demons - Would be passer/immanents. Tech will probably be more specific to what the tech is. I could see treating some sort of toxic jungle infection as a parasite.

For the the tech side I want to keep in mind Clarkes' 3rd Law "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"

You other guys still out there? Am I going off the beam for you? I know yellow is around.

A lot of the 'demonic' technology in Nausicaa (esp from what I understand of the manga) seems to be biological in nature, rather than mechanical. This could mean that the technology demons really are alive. Do we want to continue this or go in a different direction?